(Eagle News) – “Walang Take Two” (No Second Take), the independent film entry of the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church of Christ), won the much coveted “Jury Award,” as well as the “Best Lead Actress in a Foreign Language Film” plum, at the Berlin International Filmmakers’ Festival.
This was the latest in a string of awards received by the first independent full-length film produced by the Iglesia Ni Cristo’s INCinema productions. On October 20, just over a week ago, the same film won the “Best Ensemble Acting” at the International Film Festival in Manhattan held in New York.
The awarding ceremonies on Saturday night, October 29, in Berlin took place on the last day of the film festival which started on October 22.
The film’s director, Carlo Jay Ortega Cuevas, received the “Jury Award” for this INC-produced film during the awarding ceremonies.
“Walang Take Two” lead actress Kimberly Anne Cordero bagged the “best lead actress in a foreign language film” award although this was her first full-length film role.
The film’s lead actor, John Stevenson Tabangay, was also nominated as “best lead actor in a foreign language film” at the Berlin filmfest. This was also his first time to act in a full-length film.
In fact, it was the first time, for all the film’s cast members to be involved in a full-length movie, including its film director, Carlo Jay Cuevas.
But despite this, “Walang Take Two” garnered awards from various prestigious film festivals, starting in February this year when it won the best director in a foreign film” award at the International Filmmaker Festival of World Cinema in London for film director Cuevas.
This was followed by the “best film” and “best cinematography in a foreign language film” awards that it received from the 2016 Madrid International Film Festival.
It had also won two major awards from the World Film Awards in Jakarta –the “Platinum World Award” and the “World Newcomer Filmmaker of the Year.” It also won the grand prize in the online-based “Fanboy Film Festival,” getting a total of 9,500 votes as the best feature film.
For all these victories, the film’s cast, crew and producers say this was God’s wonderful work.
“We thank God for these wonderful blessings. This is all His Work. We also thank the INC Church Administration led by Executive Minister Brother Eduardo V. Manalo for guiding us and allowing us to be part of this film,” said various members of the film’s cast and crew about these various awards and film nominations.
At the Berlin International Filmmakers’ Festival, INCinema’s “Walang Take Two” was the only film entry from the Philippines to be nominated in the prestigious Jury Awards.
INCinema, under which the film was produced, was a project envisioned and proposed by the INC Executive Minister, Brother Eduardo V. Manalo. Its main mission is to develop or create quality productions that will be an alternative media which primarily promote Christian values. It also aims to inspire the INC brethren – in the Philippines and abroad — to hone their artistic gifts in visual and performing arts, such as acting, directing, scriptwriting, video editing, among others.
The cast and crew of “Walang Take Two” is composed of previous winners in the annual Excellence in Visual Media (EVM) Awards of INCinema.